One man read a newspaper in 2017.
It said Bengaluru could run out of water by 2030.
He didn't tweet about it.
He didn't start a hashtag.
He quit his cushy corporate job… and started digging lakes.
Meet Anand Malligavad — India's Lake Man.
His first project was Kyalasanahalli Lake near Bengaluru.
36 acres. Bone dry. Ecologically dead for decades.
He revived it in 45 days.
No concrete. No steel. Just nature-based engineering.
That one win became a movement.
Today, his foundation has restored 150 lakes across India. 🤯
Take Kaidamma Kunta in Hafeezpet.
Until recently? A 24-acre dumpyard.
Sewage. Garbage. Stench so bad neighbours avoided the street.
Today? A walking track. Kids playing cricket on the bed. Pet owners doing morning loops.
And here's the kicker:
👉 Working with HYDRAA and GHMC, his team has helped recover land worth ₹100 crore from encroachers.
Timeline: ~100 days.
Cost: nearly 90% less than what government agencies typically spend.
Lifespan with low maintenance: 5 to 10 years.
No concrete. No steel. No fancy tech.
Anand says reviving lakes is only half the battle.
The real silent killer? Nalas. The stormwater drains.
That's why one rain shower now floods entire neighbourhoods.
He puts it bluntly: a dry lake isn't the problem. A sewage-filled one is.
Untreated sewage triggers eutrophication → methane → toxic air, dead ecosystems, sick people.
Bengaluru is his karma bhoomi.
Hyderabad — with roots to his Koppal village under the old Nizam — is his janma bhoomi.
Next on the list: Lingam Gunta, Chakalavani Cheruvu, Patel Cheruvu and more.
In Serilingampally alone, he's eyeing nearly 80 lakes.
He calls his work a web series. Ongoing. No finale.
While the rest of us argue about climate change on timelines…
this man is quietly giving Indian cities their water back.
One lake at a time.
That's all for now!
